My Heart Asunder
by Esper17
Summary: Celeste Hastings was born into the brotherhood but lost everything when Haytham killed her family. On a quest for vengeance, she crosses paths with Connor and begins a journey she never imagined possible. Can their feelings survive when love and revenge lead to different paths, or will their hearts be torn asunder. Slight Timeline. ConnorxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I do not own Assassin's Creed they belong to the awesome and creative minds of Ubisoft. Celeste however, is mine, along with her story that I spent days trying to figure out how to place her into the universe to be real and most believable. I hope you enjoy!**

May, 1775

Two months ago, the building was abandoned. She remembered it while passing to the tailor's shop. It was a dull colored manor then, with broken windows and an overgrown lawn. Looking at it now, you would never have guessed that just a few short weeks ago, it did nothing but house pigeons and collect dust. As she studied the exterior, she couldn't help but notice the craftsmanship that had gone into the new windows and woodwork. The flowerbeds were tastefully redone in a wide array of different flowers and plants. Some if which she had never seen before. She could even smell the fumes of fresh paint lingering softly in the air. All of which would have been a marvel to look at, had it not been for the fact that a dozen British soldiers now stood watch before it.

Celeste smiled to herself as she studied the manor from the shadows of a nearby ally. In just a few moments she would be meeting the illusive Henry Wales. A man she knew, through stolen correspondence, received his orders directly from Charles Lee. She had been tracking Wales for weeks after she heard that he had gone into hiding after the Battle of Lexington and Concord under John Pitcairn's orders.

Her ultimate target, of course, was Haytham Kenway. The man solely responsible for the massacre of the entire Assassin order, but finding him was virtually impossible. However, good ol' Henry boy was Charles Lee's lap dog and he was Keyway's right hand man. So getting to Wales had been a top priority for her. It had been something of a challenge to finally track Wales down to Boston but Celeste knew killing him would not be, and so she had found the perfect cover.

The one thing Celeste knew best was how much a man loved to talk when a woman was on her knees for him. The information they would leak when a woman had just given them the ride of their lives, or a good stiff drink; and the crowns men loved to talk, especially when their loneliness was appeased. The information was received by a close friend Vivian Du Mont, the head mistress at Boston's most high class brothel, The Diamond Rose. According to her, Henry Wales had an appetite for the finer things in life. Expensive wine for his extremely expensive women. Vivian had already sent over two of her girls this week alone. Celeste saw this as the perfect opportunity to slip in under the pretense of overpaid sex.

Celeste checked her reflection in a broken window, making sure her blond wig and glasses were snuggly in place, her heavy makeup flawless. She puffed up her skirts checking the folds, where a few concealed throwing knives were stashed. She couldn't help but smile to herself while she examined the straps on her armband, making sure the puffy sleeves didn't reveal the leather underneath. Flicking her wrist she watched as her hidden blade shot out and moved back in effortlessly. Perfect. Everything was in order. The only thing left was to make it through the front door.

Putting on her best seductive smile, she blended in with a group of civilians while passing the ally, and then turned slowly onto the path towards the manor. She was slow in her approach, not glancing at any of the guards she passed making sure it looked like she belonged there. Some of the guards gave her a quick glance as she passed by, others ignored her completely, but as she made her way towards the front door she knew she was in for it when the two standing watch openly leered at her.

The one on the left was a bit pudgy with a large nose that dominated most of his face. A balding middle age man who, by the way he was looking at her, probably only got laid by paying for it. The other was a young man who barley looked like he left his teenage years behind him. The look in his eyes though was cruel and hungry. She kept her composure when they blocked her path, the smile never wavering from her lips.

"Look at what we have here." Pudgy said grinning as he sucked on his teeth and eyed her from head to foot. Celeste started playing with her lace choker, trailing her fingers across the tops of her breasts. The movement brought their attention to her cleavage, just like she intended.

"Good day, my fine gentleman. My name is Emily. My services have been called upon by Master Wales. He is expecting my arrival."

"You're early." Pudgy said circling behind her, she knew he was trying to get a good look at her 'wares' and did not concern herself with him. She turned her gaze towards the younger guard and tried to sound as suave as possible.

"Madam DuMont values her business with Master Wales. She made sure he would not be kept waiting."

"Your one of Dumont's girls?" The boy sounded a bit too eager as he began opening the door for her, his gaze moving back towards her chest. "I heard her girls are the best in town."

"And expensive as fuck." Pudgy said circling back around moving in closer. Celeste's skin began to crawl and she had to fight every nerve in her body not to flinch away from him. "When you're through, would you mind if my friend and I got a taste?" Pudgy put his nose close to her throat and inhaled deeply. "You smell clean. I always wanted to try one of DuMont's girls."

Celeste's smile faltered from her lips when she fought down a wave of nausea at the thought of their hands on her body. Seeing them naked in her mind was almost unbearable. She swallowed hard for a moment regaining her composure and forcing her voice to become low and husky. She turned her face towards Pudgy and glanced at his lips before meeting his lecherous gaze. His breath smelled like old ale and dirty clothes. She had an image of throwing up on him, flash through her mind.

"Gentlemen, I am flattered you would wish the presence of my company. Perhaps something can be arranged with Madam DuMont." She forced her fingers to touch Pudgy's collar and ran them down his chest making sure his eyes went back to her cleavage. "I do love a man in uniform after all."

Both men snickered in delight. The one holding the door looked a little too eager. Judging by his age she figured he never even had a woman.

"Maybe the Madam doesn't have to know." He said excited. "We can call it a service to the crown."

_What. The. Fuck. _Didn't these guys see that she was in a hurry? Celeste knew if she didn't get past these guys, her window of opportunity would close. She could just imagine Vivian's real girl showing up twenty steps behind her while these two jerkoffs were taking up her time. She had to move, and quick.

"Gentlemen, I do support his Majesty and the Crown, but I fear to keep Master Wales waiting much longer. I hear his temper can be a bit… intimidating. After I conclude my business, we can continue this discussion in a more… private setting, if it suits you."

Both men nodded in approval ushering her through the open door. Pudgy pulled away from her and winked.

"I'll be looking forward to your return."

Celeste's smile widened as she slightly bowed to them. She knew if she ever did see Mr. Piggy again he was going to die by her hand. The thought was enough to bring her enough pleasure as she made her way through the door and down a long hallway. Another guard led her down several winding corridors till she reached a staircase. She was a little surprised that he was actually quite handsome, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She smiled at him but he didn't even so much as glance at her. Apparently, this wasn't the first time Wales had received company in this manner.

"Go up the stairs and make a right down the hallway. The Lieutenant is in the office at the end of that corridor." He turned and quickly left her standing their alone. It appeared as though someone didn't like whores.

Celeste slowly began ascending the stairs, taking a deep breath to calm her nervous anticipation. She knew exactly where Wales would be, even without the guard telling her. She had studied the building plans for weeks. Learning every corridor and tunnel, in case the worst should happen, but so far so good, this was turning out to be easier than she thought.

Soon she would learn the whereabouts of Charles Lee, and through him, Kenway. She could almost see the end of her long quest in front of her. She smiled in satisfaction, savoring this moment of clarity. Revenge was always a good motivation and even though she tried never to take an innocents life, she knew Wales was no innocent and had to die.

Celeste turned at the top of the stairs and headed to Wales's office. She stopped before the door and quickly glanced around. For some reason she didn't see any guards around and was uncertain if that was a blessing or not. It did peak her interest and it was a bit odd but she really had no time to dwell on it. Slowly turning the handle, she put on her best seductive smile and made her way inside. It was time to do what she was trained for.

* * *

Connor gritted his teeth in frustration. Nothing! There was nothing here! He yelled in his head while he finished scanning the letters on Wales's desk. There was no information on the whereabouts of Lee and Connor could feel the anger starting to take root in his chest. He believed Sam Adams to be a decent man and this information had seemed to be good upon receiving it. Was it possible that Wales had been tipped off right before his arrival? Did he somehow know he was being targeted? Connor thought for a moment as he pondered what his next move would be.

Getting in was a bit more simpler then he thought it would be. He had entered through the second floor window facing the ally. Only three guards occupied the floor, and were spaced out enough, that he was quickly and silently able to take them out. Stashing their bodies quickly in a side room, which looked as if it had not been used in ages, was the easiest part. However, when he opened the door at the end of the hall, his heart had stopped for a moment when the tinkering of a bell sounded. Apparently Wales had rigged a small chime that hung down from the ceiling, which would ring every time someone crossed the threshold into his office.

Thankfully, Wales was nowhere in sight and Connor quickly darted towards the back of the office, into the shadows near a desk, and concealed himself behind a large curtain. He heard Wales enter through a side door, his voice eager and his steps hurried.

"You're early, my dear." He heard him say, but hesitated when he saw no one was around. Connor watched his movements, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. When Wales placed a bottle of wine on his desk and sat down, he saw his opening. He silently positioned himself directly behind Wales and firmly covered the man's mouth with his hand. Wales grabbed at his wrist in alarm, but it was already too late. Connor slid his hidden blade into Wale's back, jerking it to puncture his heart for a quick death. He barely let out a sound as Connor withdrew his blade and let him go hastily. Wales' body fell to the desk and then slid onto the floor, knocking over papers as he went down, his last breath leaving his body.

Connor moved away from the desk, glancing down at the lieutenant's face. The blue of his eyes began to lose their vibrancy as the vacant grasp of death took hold of him. Connor felt no remorse for the man he had just killed. Unlike him, this man's hands were stained with the blood of innocents. Even if he didn't receive his orders from Charles Lee, Wales was responsible for the capture and enslavement of over a hundred native men, women and children; all in the name of trying to keep the peace, but Connor knew better. This war was just beginning.

He crouched down and sifted through the letters scattered upon the floor, his eyes quickly skimming over the pieces of parchment. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay much longer; knew Wales presence would most likely be missed; but he didn't want to leave empty handed. Fueled by a deep desperation to find even one lick of information Connor quickened his pace looking for any sign of Lee's name.

Connor was just finishing one of the last letters when he heard the door knob slowly turn. Jumping up immediately he ran towards the door and obscured himself in the shadows behind where the door would open. He had one chance to do this correctly and silence the person coming through, before they alerted more guards. Connor tried never to take an innocents life, but he knew whoever had dealings with Wales was no guiltless party. He flicked his wrist and unsheathed his hidden blade.

* * *

Celeste turned the knob slowly and let herself in. She knew Wales was expecting her, so knocking wasn't a necessity. No need for formality when you were posing as a whore, right? The first thing she noticed was how dim the lighting was. Only a handful of candles were lit casting the majority of the room into shadows. She smiled to herself at the thought of Wales's failed attempt at trying to set the mood for her. As Celeste opened the door her attention was diverted above, when she heard a bell go off. _A little paranoid are we?_ She frowned as she closed the door and took a step further into the room, bringing her full attention to the scene in front of her.

A body lay face down on the floor near the far side of the room, partially hidden by a desk. Pieces of parchment were scattered upon the ground. She didn't need to be the smartest person alive to already know the person was Wales and the dark substance on the wooden flooring was his blood. Faster than she could react, she was roughly grabbed and jerked back against someone's chest.

Her captor held her with incredible strength. One hand clasped over her mouth, the other over the front of her body with a knife pressed to her throat. Any normal person would have been scared out of their mind. A woman, most likely would have begun to cry or pray. Not her though, she was only pissed. She would most likely die now without getting close to fulfilling her duty.

"If you scream, I will kill you."

The man, she knew now, had a deep smooth voice with the hint of an accent that she couldn't place. Celeste didn't flinch nor make a sound as she waited for his next move. She honestly was a little curious who the man who beat her to her target was, but realized any information she could have gotten out of Wales was now lost. If those fucking guards hadn't delayed her downstairs, she would've been the one to kill Wales and get the information on Lee. Instead she was held up and now captured by this would be assailant. If he planned on raping her, boy did she have a surprise for him.

Celeste couldn't control her body from shaking in anger, uncaring if the man misinterpreted it for fear. She heard him release a sigh most likely trying to figure out if he wanted to kill her or not. She was an unforeseen obstacle, just like he was for her. Another minute passed and Celeste slowly began letting her body relax against her captor. She knew if he was going to kill her she would have already been dead. This man was no ordinary thug.

"I'm going to let you speak. I advise you to heed my warning."

The man slowly released his hold over her mouth, but kept the dagger at her throat. A normal woman would have asked what was to be done with her, but the only thing on her mind was Wales.

"Please tell me you got information off him, before you killed him?"

The man hesitated for a moment, most likely caught off guard with inquiry to Wales, rather than of her own wellbeing.

"He revealed nothing." The man said plainly. She did not know if he was telling the truth and blew caution to the wind when she decided to elaborate. Let's just assume they were on the same team for a moment.

"Charles Lee. Did he say anything thing about that man?"

"What do you know of Charles Lee?" His voice turned venomous, his hold on her tightened as he dug the dagger harder against her throat. Ah, a soft spot. So for the moment they were on the same side.

"Nothing yet. Let me go so I can check the correspondence!"

She felt the tenseness leave his body while he weighed her words. After another moment of exchanged silence and his arm quickly fell away from her. Celeste didn't hesitate as she rushed forward to where Wales lay dead upon the floor. Not even caring to glance back at her assailant. Her focus was on finding Lee, the other man she could deal with later. Kill him if she must. She knelt to the floor and began shuffling through the scattered papers that lay upon it.

"I read the letters. They do not mention anything about Lee." He said as she heard him take a few steps forward. Shaking her head in denial, she kept searching.

"That cannot be possible. A meeting was to be made soon. He was to receive correspondence of the location." Celeste spoke without thinking and regretted it almost immediately, not knowing if this man was an enemy, or worse, a Templar. Maybe Wales was not fulfilling his quota and he needed to be removed from power. The best way to do that was to hire a mercenary. Well, that explained the missing guards on the second floor.

"A meeting? Are you sure about this?" She heard the man hurry towards her, his clothes shuffling as he crouched down in front of her. He reached for a few papers in her peripheral vision.

"Check for a code or something that sounds out of place. Like 'the all-seeing hand guides us' or 'the serpent waits in the shadow of deliverance' and then a location. Something like that."

Celeste glanced at Wales's body, following the pool of blood that trailed over some of the papers. She caught sight of a letter caught underneath his hand.

"You missed one." She said quickly, grabbing his arm and peeling the blood stained paper off his skin before dropping his hand, as if it were something insignificant. She unfolded the letter and tried to read past the red stains that saturated it.

"You do not seem upset that your master is now dead."

"Wales was not my master. I came to kill him." She could feel his gaze ripping into her and suddenly felt uncomfortable under their weight.

"Just who exactly are you?"

Celeste finally tore her gaze away from her task at hand and looked at the man who, just a minute ago, could have killed her. What she saw was the last thing she ever expected, and for a moment, her heart stopped beating.

He was dressed mostly in white. His coat laid open, a dark blue wide collar trim on both sides of the front of it, revealing a pleated waistcoat beneath. Matching dark blue breeches were hidden underneath leather thigh high boots. She didn't get a chance to examine his clothing further as she tried to gaze into the shadows of his face, which was hidden underneath a white hood fastened at the shoulders of his coat. A bird with its wings stretched out was embroidered at the temples edge.

She could just imagine what she must have looked like to him. Her eyes wide and unbelieving; her mouth agape in shock; her chest rising heavily when the world seemed to freeze around her. She almost didn't want to blink. Convinced that if she looked away for even one second, he would disappear as a figment of her imagination but, she had to know. The outfit was not something worn by those unfamiliar. The last time it was seen was on her brother Gabriel. She chanced it and glanced down at his arm.

There on his left leather armband, molded in silver and expertly placed was the symbol of the Creed. _How is this even possible?_ She thought they had all nearly been wiped out years ago. Did others survive? No, impossible. Before she could even think, her hand shot out and grabbed onto his left arm.

The man was just as quick as he moved to pull his arm away from her. He lost his balance at the unexpected movement on both their parts which resulted in him falling on his haunches and her across his thighs as she grabbed onto his arm. His reflexes were swift and he in turn took his other hand grabbing her shoulder, steadying her from toppling all over him. Her hand landed on his inner thigh as she caught herself.

She didn't even think to get embarrassed at the intimacy of their position because her eyes never wavered from his inner arm. The mechanism was now in plain sight. Something she thought she would never see again on another person. The hidden blade, an assassin's most coveted weapon.

"You survived." She softly said in awe, finally forcing her gaze away to the man's face. Now that she was so close to him and the angle they were forced to peer at each other with, his face was no longer concealed in shadow. Deep brown eyes pierced into her underneath a heavyset brow. His stare was hard and unwavering as he regarded her with cautious interest. He was not a settler like she originally assumed him to be, but had deep tanned skin. He was not dark like most of the natives she had seen but he did share some of the characteristics of one. Was he half?

She tried to take in everything she could of him. Thick eyebrows, a squared nose, nostrils larger than most but not disproportioned. It seemed to fit faultlessly on him though. The lines of his cheek bones were sharp and chiseled. His lips were thick and full, his jaw perfectly squared. He was the epitome of male masculinity and was far from ugly. He had an outlandish wild look about him, but what got her the most were his eyes, which she seemed to be caught in.

The man took a deep breath, breaking the trance that befell her. She watched the movement of his throat; the rise and fall of his chest. Around his neck was a necklace with three animal teeth that hung down in a native design. She wondered if it was from an animal he had killed himself.

"Who are you?" He asked again his voice low, beginning to turn husky. She stared at his lips. An overwhelming urge to know if he tasted as exotic as he looked went through her mind. She had almost lost the battle with her impulses, when yelling and heavy running was heard on the floor below them, snapping her from her daze.

Celeste muttered a curse as they both scrambled to their feet. She looked around quickly and ran toward a bookcase that stood at the side of the door. Grabbing the side she began sliding it closer to the entryway. She looked at the man as she struggled against the weight.

"My disguise has most likely been discovered." Another second and the man was beside her, helping to topple the heavy wood against the closed door. Books and other paraphernalia spilling out onto the floor, erupting in a loud crash. She took a moment to catch her breath and get her bearings watching as her assailant ran to the open window to make an escape.

Almost immediately he darted against the wall beside it when shouts came from below. A shot rang out hitting the ceiling where he hid. He frowned as he looked at her.

"This way is blocked to us." As if emphasizing what he said, banging started to come from the other side of the door.

"Make Ready!" A man yelled. Celeste gasped in alarm.

"Duck!" She yelled to the hooded man as she scrambled to the side of the door to avoid fire. The man lunged toward the desk bracing his back against the wood.

"Fire!" The soldier yelled. Shots rang out through the wood of the door and bookcase in front of it. Celeste had to cover her ears at the roar of the muskets. The faint smell of gunpowder and smoke wafted through the holes in the door. After the last gun went off the native man darted up and ran till his back was against the wall beside her.

"Why are they firing?" She asked loud enough for him to hear while another 'make ready' was heard from the other room.

"They probably already know Wales is dead." He replied glancing around the room, looking for a way of escape. Celeste bent down and grabbed the hem of her skirt hiking it up around her thighs. The man quickly looked away to give her privacy.

"What are you doing?"

"My dagger is strapped to my thigh." Just as Celeste grasped her dagger and dropped her skirts, the man gripped both her shoulders and pulled her further from the door when the muskets went off again, his eyes continuing to scan the room.

"We need to get out of here."

"I know. Follow me."

Gripping the dagger in her palm she scrambled to the other side of the door the hooded man right on her heels. She could hear the muskets being reloaded for a third time. Spinning the knife in her hand, she wedged it behind a painting that covered a section of the wall, floor to ceiling. As she pried the section of the painting off the wall, she sank her fingers into the gap and began to pull. The man followed her lead, helping to swing the door open enough for them to quickly slip through.

She went in first, grabbing a low lit lantern while she heard the wall close behind her and a large wooden lock slide into place. They both hurried through the corridor and down a flight of stairs. She stopped to catch her breath, the rush of adrenaline beginning to fade.

She turned to the native, gripping her dagger in her hand as she studied him. She couldn't see his face under the darkness of the hood but knew he was aware of her defensive stance.

"How did you know about this door?" His voice dripped with suspicion while he held his hand out for the lantern, flexing his fingers to indicate that she should hand it over.

"I've been studying this place for a few weeks. Paid top dollar on the building plans stolen by a worker." Celeste didn't see the need to hide the information from him. If their roles were reversed, she would be apprehensive too. She ignored his gesture for the lantern and hurried onward.

"Were almost at the exit. "She said softly, turning through a few more narrow corridors and finally stopping in front of a door.

"I'll go out first and see if it is safe." The man said stepping beside her to slowly open the door. He moved the wood a few inches sunlight peeking through the crack of the doorway. When they heard no noise coming from beyond, he pushed it out further stepping over the foot high base of the door and out onto the street. Celeste followed suit juggling the lantern and her dagger as she fought to lift her skirts to prevent herself from tripping on the lip of the doorframe.

"If you handed me the lantern you would not be struggling." He said smugly watching as she settled in beside him clutching the dagger at her side. She frowned at him before observing their surroundings. "I entered through there." He pointed upward to a window on the second floor.

Just as Celeste was about to take a step forward the man grabbed her roughly and threw her against the wall. She brought the dagger up to his chest ready to push it through his ribcage. She hesitated when he put his hand over her mouth and shielded his body over hers, placing a finger over his mouth to signal for silence.

Her eyes caught movement from the mouth of the ally. Half a dozen British soldiers ran by shouting orders as they went. Celeste hissed at him in anger when he took his hand from her mouth. As their eyes she saw him hesitate, his fingers lingering on her skin.

"You need to stop manhandling me or I'm going to stab you." She narrowed her eyes in anger, pushing the dagger against his chest to emphasize her words. The native frowned as he stared at her and then down at the dagger.

"I'm not going to hurt you, but if you want to get out of here undetected, I need you to follow me." He backed away from her, turning towards a cellar door and quietly opened it. He gestured toward the entryway and glanced at the edge of the ally to watch for guards.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"We can continue this conversation of trust when we are out of sight!" His voice was hard and demanding, an edge of anger seeping through. Honestly, if she really thought about it any chance of escaping now was probably with him. More shouting from around the corner alarmed her to make her decision. Forcing her to grab her skirts in haste and run down the stairs into the cellar.

He shut the door quietly and descended the stairs behind her. When they reached the bottom, the large room branched out into three different directions. Grabbing his own lantern from a nearby table, he glanced in her direction and motioned with his head to follow. She slowly began to trail after him as he started down one of the corridors. So this is how he made his approach to the manor she thought in wonder.

"How far do these tunnels go?" She asked before she could stop herself.

"They travel all throughout Boston. I have found them useful in avoiding unwanted attention."

_This is amazing._ She thought, as they twisted and turned through different corridors in silence. They traveled that way for a while; she had so many questions so many things she wanted to ask him. All which revolved around the symbol on his bracer. Her gaze scanned the walls watching as brick changed slowly to stone as they traveled deeper down a tunnel ending in a large cavern. Wooden beams served as support columns to the ceiling above them. Large crates were stacked up a wall to wooden planks that crossed upward towards a ledge high above them. Celeste brought the lantern over her head as she scanned the way upward.

"Careful." The man said just as she tripped on something large upon the ground. She lost her balance and stumbled, reaching forward blindly for something to prevent her fall. She was caught unaware as the hooded figure quickly gathered her against him steading her against his chest. His arms and shoulders were nothing but hard taut muscle. She could feel the warmth of him through his clothes, a dark earthy aroma coming from his skin. Then her mind wandered to her hand on his thigh before. The power she felt in his hard leg.

She pushed from him and glanced away quickly toward the floor, preventing her mind from going to dangerous places and see what she tripped on. It was a dead body.

"Friend of yours?" She said calmly, staring at the man near her feet.

"I encountered him on my way to Wales. He was a thief and a murderer. He attacked me."

"I am not judging you. I was just weighing the situation."

Celeste knelt down next to the man and glanced back up the boxes and planks by the wall. It was over twenty feet high.

"Is this the way out?"

"Yes. I will help you to reach the top." He said slowly, looking down at her the glare of the lantern illuminating his face. He studied her in contemplation. She smiled softly and shook her head. They both knew there was no way she was going to be able to climb in this dress and there was no way she was climbing naked. A thought suddenly struck her.

"Turn around." She said quickly, placing her lantern and dagger upon the ground. She grabbed at the dead man's arms, struggling as she tried to move his stiff muscles to remove his jacket.

"What are you doing?"

"Just turn around."

She finished getting the man's jacket off and moved to his feet yanking his shoes off. The native man crossed his arms in front of his chest as he stared at her unmoving. She frowned when he didn't turn his face as unhappy as hers as he weighed her with more suspicion.

"Fine, don't trust me." Celeste was tired of games, she wanted out of these tunnels and to be somewhere safe and the only way to do that was to trust the man who was now frowning at her. She stared back at him in defiance, her fingers going to the strings of her corset. Her fingers quickly worked over them; untying the laces and making her bodice gape open to reveal the tops of her breasts. If she read him right he would turn away from her again.

The man averted his eyes when she finished undoing her top and she couldn't stop a grin from forming on her mouth. She was right he was not accustomed to a naked woman. Almost on queue the assassin turned away from her.

"I'm not going to lie; I thought you were going to watch me. Most men are beside themselves when presented with the opportunity in watching a woman undress." Celeste didn't know why she teased him. For all she knew he could turn around suddenly and lunge for her, but she wasn't too frightened. She still had her throwing knives and her own hidden blade that he was not aware of.

"Why are you?"

"Let's be honest here. We have to climb right? We both know I'm not going to make it in this dress. So I'm taking this man's clothes."

Celeste turned her own back to him and quickly undid the fastenings of her skirt letting it drop to the floor. She felt her chest get heavy at the thought of all the dirt on her clothes and what Vivian would say when she finally returned the outfit to her.

"Vivian's going to kill me."

"A friend of yours?"

"Sort of, I borrowed the dress from her. It's really expensive, or so she said while she berated me when I took it." She laughed softly and paused as she reached down to finish getting the clothes from the man on the ground.

"Can I ask what your name is?" His voice was smooth and even, a soothing sound that she honestly liked very much.

"Celeste, and yours?"

"Connor."

"Nice to meet you Connor. Although I have to say, it does feel a bit awkward making introductions when I'm naked."

"I'm sorry." He said almost a little too shyly which made her start wondering about his age. He didn't look too young, she figured him to be around the same age as she was, just shy of twenty three. As she finished pulling the clothes off the man, Connor started to walk away from her.

"I'm going to climb up ahead and make sure the boards are secure. I'll come back for you."

"Ok" She said, smiling softly. "I'll be a few more moments." She gathered the man's clothes stepping further into the shadows of the cave and watched as Connor began scaling the crates. She silently prayed that she wouldn't lose the dress as she stuffed it into a nearby crate. It was then and there she decided that she was going to make Connor come back with her to collect it when things had quieted down.

Celeste finished dressing and frowned at the stench that came from the clothes. As she adjusted her hidden blade and found places for her dagger and throwing knives, Connor's voice resonated from above her.

"Are you almost done?"

"This man smelled horrible." She said grimacing at the thought of what could be on his clothes.

"It's a good thing he hasn't been dead long."

"Well, thank the heavens for small favors."

Celeste snorted in disgust and paused as she heard a soft chuckle emerge from Connors throat, deep and rich. She peered up at him and instantly regretted that she couldn't see his face in the shadows. The thought of wanting to see him smile was haunting her, wondering what it would be like to hear him laugh. She turned away to adjust her clothes one last time and picked up the lantern. When she emerged from the shadows and looked up at the man high above her, she gasped in surprise.

Connor must have seen the horror on her face as she looked past him. He turned quickly to see what had alarmed her and met the butt of a rifle against the side of his head. His face was thrown to the side and he stumbled for a second as he righted his footing and moved away from the ledge. He seemed a bit dazed as he pulled a small axe from his side blocking a kick to his chest, but was too slow as a second man hit him in the face again, with his rifle.

The weapon flew over the edge and landed heavily a few feet from where she hid. Celeste immediately turned the lantern off and hugged the darkness to prevent them from seeing her.

The assassin was too stunned to fight back as both men hit him in the face again with their rifles forcing him to the ground. Connor fell onto his stomach his arm hanging over the ledge. She could see his face now, his eyes searching for her in the darkness. She thought about rushing forward but by the time she took a step more voices emerged from above her. One of the men hit Connor one more time as she watched in dismay as his eyes closed. Please, please don't be dead. She silently prayed.

"Oy! What do we 'ave 'er? Celeste heard one of the approaching ones speak.

"A thief by the look of 'im." The one crouching above Connor spoke, grabbing his hood and roughly ripping it from his head as he kicked him onto his back. "It's an Indjun."

"Well, it's our lucky day boys. We should get top dollar for this lout." A fourth man said looking down at the man that lay at his feet.

"The axe 'e 'ad, it fell off the ledge."

The first man who spoke went to the ledge and hung his lantern out to see down below. Celeste pressed her back against the wall to prevent from being seen.

"Well, what you shite's wai'in for. Go ge' tit."

The two men crouching over Connor exchanged looks. The second one, who hadn't spoken yet, finally got up and went to the ledge to look down.

"Bugger that. You want it so badly, you get your ass down there and get it."

The man holding the lantern continued looking down, examining the planks and boxes. After a moment he spit onto the floor and sucked his teeth.

"Fuck it. We'll git a pretty penny fo'er the savage alone."

They all snickered to themselves while they picked Connor up by his arms and dragged him out of sight. When the sound of footsteps became faint Celeste moved forward and picked up the axe that fell near her. When she held it in her hands and examined it she realized that it was a small tomahawk. The wood of the handle was smooth and well sanded like it had seen years of handling. Around the base was a thin band of weaved rope, a diamond design that circled the upper handle. Two feathers hung down from a small piece of leather that tied everything together. It was actually a beautiful piece and she was certain Conner would want it back.

Celeste stood and weighed her options. Should she run back the other way, forget about him and everything that took place, or should she go after him? The only other person besides her mentor, all those years ago, to have the symbol of the Creed etched onto his clothing. A smart girl would have left and saved her own skin, but Celeste had known from the moment their eyes first met, her life was forever about to change. As she took a deep breath to steady her racing heart, a calm resolve spread over her as she made her choice. Tucking the handle of the tomahawk into her belt, she started her ascent to the ledge above her. Following the sound of fading footsteps.

**Authors note: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. I had a blast writing it! Please leave me feedback so I can know if my writing is on the right track. I will bribe you guys for at least 10 reviews before I release Chapter 2 :P**

** I would also like to thank my editor and beta reader Kittyn195, any mistakes made she missed or I did not fix is my mistake and not hers. **

**Thanks and see you guys for Chapter 2 I hope!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Setaflow: thank you so much for your review. I took your words to heart and decided to change my original idea for this story up a bit. I hope you stay along for the ride!**

May 1775

The sound of rowdy laughter brought him back to consciousness. His lids felt heavy and uncooperative as he fought to pry them open. The light caused a sharp pain to erupt through his temples, and his arms screamed in protest as he forced his hands beneath him. Connor knew he was not dead. The ache in his body was too great for the afterlife and the smell of rotting filth and unwashed bodies filled his nose. No, he was definitely alive and, by the smell of it, no where he wanted to be.

He pressed his hands against the floor, creating enough leverage to push his upper body off the ground and force his knees up under him. The floor was wet and slimy; he could feel the grime stuck to his cheek, the sour smell of sweat and human feces making him scowl in disgust. _I do not want to know what I have been laying in, _he thought, finally pulling his eyes open.

"Looks like our boy is finally waking up." A deep voice boomed nearby.

Connor picked his head up and sat back on his feet, his neck and shoulders popping in protest as he stretched his arms. He examined his surroundings and the source of the voice. On the other side of a cage of iron bars were three British soldiers sitting around a large wooden table. He pushed his body until his back was against the wall, brining his knees up to rest his hands upon them. The pain in his head was still too raw to move without discomfort. _How long have I been out?_

He stared at the men talking loudly, barking in laughter at the vulgar jokes they made at one another. Connor frowned when he saw his sword and bracer at the far end of the table. His coat half draped off crates on the far wall. He did not see his pistol, however and could only guess where the rest of his equipment was.

One of the guards, who had the face of a boy, caught his attention when he jumped up eagerly; telling a story Connor did not care to listen to. The boy knocked over his drink as he flailed his arms wildly, making the other men howl in laughter as he stumbled to clean up his mess. The liquid began to pool around different dishes of food that were spread across the table. A glint of metal on the far wall caught his eye and he looked past them spotting the cell keys hanging on a nail. Connor scowled thinking what he could do to escape.

"What's the matter savage? You hungry?" The guard closest to him sneered, picking up a roll and throwing it through the bars at him. Connor did not so much as blink when it soared past his head, hitting the wall beside him to land near his foot. The guards laughed harshly as they each took turns throwing different bits of food at him turning it into a game.

"I'll buy a drink for the one who hits his face first!" The guard furthest from him said smiling, revealing a mouth of crooked and yellowing teeth.

A piece of potato hit his cheek, another bounced off his chest. This went on for a few minutes and Connor refused to give the guards any kind of reaction, just sat there unmoving, keeping his face emotionless.

"Our food not good enough for you savage? You even speak English?" The young boy said snickering when he still didn't answer. "No matter, you don't need to speak in Blackwell." They all laughed again and went back to their conversation ignoring Connor, leaving him with his thoughts.

_Celeste. _An image of the woman flooded his mind. Green eyes; that was all his mind could focus on, the green of that woman's eyes. He had never quite seen that shade on someone before. It was a vibrant color, rich and pure. It reminded him of budding leaves and the denseness of the forest. It reminded him of home. The first time he looked into them he had been mesmerized by the depth of her gaze unable to move or speak. The scent of sunshine and meadows overflowed his senses making him unable to focus on anything other than the smell of her skin.

He regretted that she had too much makeup on when they met. Her skin looked pasty and pale. The powders making her face a chalky white. He could not understand these settlers sometimes. His own people used paint when signifying a tradition or event, but to make your skin whiter in the name of beauty? That was not beauty, it was only a lie.

He knew, from being close to her, that her hair was not her own, but a wig. Blonde did not suit her, and he doubted that it was anywhere near to her natural shade. Connors mind took a turn toward forbidden thoughts, while he wondered what her hair would look like underneath. She was most likely a brunette. It was the only thing he could imagine matching such radiant eyes.

He closed his eyes, remembering the soft feel of her cheek upon his fingers when he covered her mouth, the coolness of her palm against his thigh, and the blush of her cheeks when he was caught in her gaze. _"You survived" _Celeste had said to him. She had been genuinely happy, a longing shone in her eyes that he was unfamiliar with.

He thought of her without her makeup, without glasses or her wig. No tight dress to bind her body. He wanted to see her skin, wondered what the shade of flesh was beneath her clothes.

Connor banged his head back against the wall, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through his temple. _Idiot, stop thinking about that! _He sighed resting his head back against the wall, trying everything he could not to think about the woman he met. Connor had never felt his body betray him the way it did now. Never understood what it felt like to want a woman like he heard other men speak about. He knew he was not an easy man to deal with. The fact that he was half native made it doubly so. Then again, none had ever caught his attention. The years of training and the eradication of the Templars had been the only thing he had cared about. His mission was too important for distractions.

Even so, he could not stop himself from wanting to know more about her. Why she reacted to him the way she did. He saw her glance at his bracer, a knowing look entering her eyes. "_You survived" _her voice echoed in his head again. It just occurred to him, was it possible she knew what the symbol meant? Perhaps she was actually a Templar and lied when the situation turned against her favor. As far as he knew she could have fled as soon as he was attacked and imprisoned.

_It is better this way._

Connor forced himself to stop thinking about it when his thoughts turned dark. There was no use getting himself worked up over something he had no control over for the moment. When he got out of here he would follow up on the identity of the mysterious woman. Until then, there was nothing he could do but wait until an opportunity presented itself. He rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

For a long while he thought of nothing, concentrating only on the steady pull of his own breathing. Even the bawdy noises of the guards were drowned out in his makeshift meditation. He did not know how long he stayed like that, but eventually a woman's voice broke him from his musing.

"Good evening gentlemen." A voice rang out. The familiarity of it snapping Connors head up, looking to see a black haired woman standing in the doorway. She wore a white blouse with a leather corset tightened underneath her breasts and stomach, giving way to a full heavy matching skirt. She closed the door behind her, sauntering over to the guards, a charming smile spread across her red stained lips. They all jumped to their feet when she approached.

"What the hells are you doing here?" The guard closest to him said in confusion.

"I'm here to relieve you fine gentlemen." Her voice returned with an undertone of seduction. Connor got to his feet when they all laughed crudely as they approached her.

"And in what way is that?" The guard, who originally spoke to him with the bad teeth, said licking his lips eying her from head to foot.

"I don't need to spell it out for you gentleman now do I? I was paid good money to come here. A present they told me. For a group of fine gentleman, 'thanks for taking the savage' they said for me to say."

"Well my friend's it looks like today is our lucky day."

They all barked in laughter. The one with the bad teeth clapped the youngest one on the shoulder in delight.

"Looks like your about to finally get your whistle wet my boy. In honor of your first time, we'll let you take the lead." The woman continued smiling as she walked towards the youngest guard, running her fingers down his cheek. Connor turned his head away refusing to watch what he knew was about to happen.

"So young, I'm sorry you never tasted a woman." She moved her face ready to kiss him, but stopped as her eyes went toward the cells.

"We have a guest." She said coyly, pulling away from the young guard, making her way over towards the cells. "Is this the savage they were talking about?" Stopping a foot away from the bars Connor could feel the weight of her gaze fall upon him. Honestly, he did not want to be bothered with this new presence. A whore come to entertain his captors. Paid by the money they received for him.

He did not know what made him look at her, but the moment he did it took every ounce of effort not to show his surprise. Vibrant green eyes peered from behind large round glasses.

"He looks dangerous." Celeste said softly, something dark flashing through her eyes while examining him from head to foot. He caught the warning in her tone.

"Don't worry darlin'. We wouldn't let 'im hurt a pretty little thing like you."

"He's locked up good, that one there." The youngest guard piped in. Connor glanced at the guards and then back at her. Celeste's eyes darkened further, the vibrant color changing while he watched, eyebrows twitching as the anger rose on her face. He could see the promise of death reflected in the depth of her irises. _These men are about to die. _Taking a deep breath, the expression left her face as quickly as it came, replaced with a wide smile as she turned back towards the guards

"How lucky I am, to have three strong men protect me from this savage animal.

So tell me where should we begin?"

"We're gonna let the boy go first." The toothy one pushed the youngest one forward, making him stumble a bit as he approached her.

"Please my good sirs, you insult me. I am a professional. I can handle all three of you at the same time."

He watched as her hands came up in front of her, the tops of her shoulders becoming bare as she made her way over to the yellow toothed guard ignoring the boy and the second one. She placed her hands on his chest, trailing them down to rest on his belt, fingers nimbly pulling at the buckles of his breeches.

Connor slowly approached the cell bars watching her, an unfamiliar feeling coming over him. The man put one of his hands on her shoulder his other cupping her breast roughly over the material of her shirt. Connor ground his teeth together, anger overwhelming him. _Do not do this. Do not touch him!_

"It looks like the savage wants to watch." The young guard said, sneering crudely.

"Let him. I do love to put on a good show." Their eyes met for a moment before she beckoned the second guard closer, immediately he responded coming up behind her, his hands caressing her thighs and hips. She cupped the toothy one roughly through his pants. The man's head fell back slowly as his eyes began to close, his mouth opening in pleasure. She took her other hand and rested it on his hip. The smile faded from her lips and her eyes became cold and cruel.

"I just thought you fellows should know something before we continue."

"What's that darlin'" The toothy one said a moan escaping his lips.

"You're all about to die."

Before any of them could react, she pulled the man's short sword from his belt snapping her elbow back and slamming it into the guard behind her. A loud crack resonated as the guards head was pushed back from the blow. The man brought his hands up in reflex, howling in pain when blood spilled down his face. Her left hand shot forward and Connors heart began to race when she flicked her wrist, unsheathing a hidden blade. forcing it into the man's chest. Immediately the guard's body went slack, falling to the floor in a dead heap.

Celeste spun around slashing the guard behind her in the chest with the short sword, forcing him to the ground. She quickly barreled around to the last guard. He was too stunned at the sudden change of events, as he fumbled with his pants he had been in the process of opening, trying to grab his sword. He was too slow. Celeste never faltered in her step and kicked him hard, forcing him to stumble back against the cell bars.

Connor grabbed the boy roughly and held him in place for her. Without hesitation she tightened her grip on the sword handle and drove it deep into his chest angling it straight into his heart. The boy let out a loud gurgle and fell to the ground, taking the sword with him.

"I'm sorry you were so young." She said softly, before bringing her attention to Connor. Her eyes becoming soft again as she looked at him in sadness.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"What are you doing here?" Connor spat out a little too roughly.

"It's nice to see you again too." Celeste approached the bars, placing her hands upon them as she peered in at him. She smiled when their eyes met. "Don't thank me by the way."

"You did not need to do this." He said humbly knowing he was being too harsh and ungrateful for her help.

"Yes I did. You and I are in need of a long conversation. But first, do you know where the keys are?"

"Far wall behind you." He said making her eyes scan the room.

Celeste ran and grabbed the key ring hanging on the wall, and quickly made her way back to him. Her hands began to work swiftly, trying each key in succession with no luck. The frustration on her face becoming clearer when she gritted her teeth in determination. He watched her fingers as she worked, glanced at her left arm to see the edge of the mechanism of the hidden blade. She was right; they were in need of a long conversation.

"Which one is it?"

"I was not awake when I was brought here."

Celeste frowned as her hands continued to work. All he could do was watch her, willing the next one to be the right key. He was so focused on her administrations; he did not see the guard with the broken nose, until he was right behind her.

The door clicked open.

"I got it!" Celeste said in triumph the same time Connor yelled out in alarm.

"Behind you!" He was too late. Celeste turned and tried to jump away as the sword came down upon her. She grunted in pain and tumbled to the floor, losing her stability from the strike.

All Connor saw was red as something primal took hold of his body. Losing all coherent thought he screamed in rage, startling the guard who turned to him and froze in alarm. He bunched his muscles and swung the cell door open with all his strength, catching the guard in the force of the momentum and knocking him back to get pinned between the bars and the cell door. The man yelled in pain, his eyes bulging from the pressure on his chest. Connor felt an emptiness take hold of him when he pulled the door open and slammed it on the man's chest several times, until he heard a crack. Blood dripped from the guard's mouth, his eyes taking on the unknowing glare of death.

He let the bars go, sucking in a deep breath to calm the rush of adrenaline and his racing heart. As the body fell to the floor he turned all his attention to the girl on the ground silently praying to the faceless one._ Do not let her die._

Celeste's face was pale as her breaths came out in labored huffs. She pulled herself to her hands and knees, keeping her right arm cradled against her stomach. Connor rushed to her and knelt by her side.

"How bad is it?" He asked calmly, despite the fact that it felt like his heart was trying to break free of his chest.

She slowly pulled her knees under herself, keeping her gaze focused on the floor in concentration. The bridge of her nose was scrunched in pain and her teeth clenched when she moved again, trying her best to keep her composure.

"I'm not sure, but it hurts like a bitch." Connor placed one hand gently around her waist and the other under her arm.

"Let me help you." He said guiding her to her feet. She grunted in pain as she forced her body to stand straight. When he let her go their eyes met, and Connor could feel a nervousness taking root in his stomach. Her eyes were not as vibrant as they had been a few moments ago.

"I'm ok. We need to get out of here."

She kept her hand over her side, blood beginning to seep past her fingers, staining the leathers of her corset. Connor saw sweat beginning to bead on her skin, the color draining from her cheeks. She looked away from him as soon as their eyes met.

"Let me see."

"There's nothing that can be done right now."

Connor turned from her and bent down to the guard whom she had stabbed through the chest. Roughly turning him over, he began pulling his shirt off. Celeste watched him with mild interest, swaying on her feet for a moment before catching herself. He shredded the shirt quickly into ribbons and turned to her. She stepped back in hesitation. _Does she really think I mean to tie her up?_

"There is too much blood. I am going to bandage your side until we can find you aid." He said forcing his voice to be calm to reassure her.

She swayed again and nodded, pulling at the strings on her hip that held up her skirt. Connor was about to protest until he saw the leather pants that she wore underneath. The fabric fell to the floor and billowed down around her feet. She lifted the side of her shirt and a glint of metal caught his attention on her other thigh. His tomahawk that he dropped over the ledge was strapped around her leg. He was about to smile until her wound was revealed. Any joy he might have felt was quickly sucked away at the sight of her side. _This is bad._

Something on his face must have shown because Celeste groaned in remorse. Her eyes turned sad as she swallowed hard and frowned.

"Just don't tell me. Do it quickly and go get your gear. We need to get you out of here."

_She regrets coming for me._

Connor pushed back all doubt and fear as the situation became tangible. Hesitation would not save her, they had to move quickly. He bandaged her side swiftly, putting as much pressure on the slash as possible. She gasped and sucked her breath in trying her hardest not to scream in pain. Her eyes started to pool as tears began to escape, leaving trails down her cheeks. She turned her head away so he couldn't see the emotions change upon her face.

"You have no idea how much this hurts." She spoke so weakly he thought she had not spoken at all.

"I am finished." He said plainly, stepping away from her and turning toward the far table where he saw his bracer. He quickly strapped it on and grabbed his jacket off the crates, bending down to a storage chest he did not notice before. The gun and leathers lay upon dirty blankets and clothes within it. He grabbed everything and pulled on his jacket, fastening all his pouches and weapons in their appropriate places.

He dressed in silence watching Celeste out of the corner of his eyes. She pushed her fingers into her hair, pulling at small pins fastened behind her ears, dropping them to the floor. She started pulling the black wig from her head and let it tumble to the floor uncaringly. Her hair was mostly bound against her scalp and he could not tell the length or quite precisely the color. The glasses followed after as she tossed them to the floor without a second thought. _I knew she had to be dark haired. _

"No more use for a disguise. Most of the guards who saw me are dead."

Connor sheathed his sword and pulled up his hood.

"Can you see without your glasses?"

"They're fake. I don't have a fancy outfit like yours to hide my face so I improvise. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Celeste nodded and reached her hand down to her thigh, pulling his tomahawk from the leathers that bound it against her and handed it towards him. He reached out for it; his eyes looking at her wrist where he saw the hidden blade emerge as the weapon passed between them.

"I thought you would be missing this." She said, smiling softly.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me."

She nodded once and turned from him approaching the far door. He could tell she was making sure every step she took was with care as to not aggravate her side.

"We leave through here. There should only be two more guards above us and we can make it to the top floor. There is an exit on the opposite side. With luck it will be deserted."

They made their way down a corridor devoid of guards. Celeste kept her hand upon the wall to steady her path her eyes beginning to blink rapidly the strain of focusing becoming evident in her steps. _She has lost too much blood._

Connor walked up ahead when they reached a turn and pressed his body against the wall to peak around the corner. He felt Celeste's presence at his side while she waited for his signal.

"It is clear."

"Good. The stairs are up ahead." Her voice was low and winded, her breaths coming out in forced gasps.

"You will be ok."

Celeste just nodded as Connor tried to reassure her once more, while they continued onwards towards the stairway. He motioned for her to put her arm around his shoulder. She didn't protest as he helped guide her up the steps putting his other hand around her waist to steady her as they ascended. She chuckled softly.

"Is something funny?" He asked, curiosity overwhelming him.

"We introduced ourselves when I was naked, and now you have your arms around me. Next time just buy me a drink like a normal man." Celeste's expression had a sense of melancholy as their eyes met.

"Survive and I will."

"You should just go."

"I am not going to leave you. Do not ask me again."

His voice was harsher then he meant it to be, but it left her no room for argument and she became quiet. When they reached the top he carefully released his hold on her, giving a moment to support her own weight. He proceeded to scout up ahead, keeping her close to him.

"Wait here." He said to her when they reached another corner, peeking around to see if it was clear. He moved hastily as he continued onward not wanting to leave her alone for too long. Turning another hallway made Connor frown when he heard loud voices nearby. Peeking around a doorway made his heart stop for a moment. In the room beyond a dozen red coats sat on benches, playing cards and talking amongst themselves.

Connor knew if he was careful he could sneak past them and most likely make his escape. However, he knew Celeste would not. Without a sound he backed away from the room and returned to the woman he left behind. He knew if he did not find a way out soon, she would not survive. He hesitated when he turned the last corner and reached her.

She was exactly where he left her. Except now she was slouched over on the floor. One of her legs was folded up, the other laying upon the ground. Her head rested awkwardly to the side and fear gripping his chest while he studied her, trying to find the rise and fall of her breaths. He was a few feet away when her eyes opened and she looked at him. He knelt down in front of her to meet her gaze.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ready to take on the whole British army." She smiled softly. Connor caught the struggle it took her to swallow.

"There are over a dozen guards up ahead. There is no way to get around them in your condition." He tightened his hand into a fist and rubbed his fingers together looking toward the ground as he wracked his head trying to think of a way out.

"Connor… please, you must…leave me." She touched his hand softly.

"I still do not know if you are an ally or an enemy."

"Is that… why you won't… let me die?"

He was quiet for a moment. _I do not know what to do. _Connor was just about to despair when the sound of splashing snapped him from his trance. _The ocean? _He jumped up and scurried to a nearby window, looking out upon it. Hope flooded into him. The building was right next to a bay. If they were in a bay, he might actually know where they were, and if this was the bay he was thinking of, the Aquila was nearby. _I can save her! _Connor turned and ran back to Celeste.

"There is a way out. Come on."

Celeste shook her head when he bent down in front of her. Her hand trembled as she touched his check. Connor fought against jumping at her touch. Her skin felt like the first bite of winter frost. He strained to hear her when her voice came out in a whisper.

"I'm sorry...I wanted to…know you…I don't….regret…coming."

Celeste's body crumpled over and Connor caught her in his arms as she tumbled towards the floor unconscious. Without hesitation he swooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the window surprised by how light and fragile the woman in his arms now was. He looked down at the waves and said a quick prayer to the faceless one as he stepped out on to the ledge, taking a most desperate leap of faith.

**Thank you all for reading, I hope your enjoying it. I plan to have chapters up every 2 weeks or so, but would really appreciate if you can leave some reviews. Even a few words of thought could help me shape or change the story to your liking. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: I tripped. I totally tripped. It was one of those instances where you see the world slowing down around you. My husband said I had a look of horror on my face as it happened. he was standing a few feet away as it slipped from my hands. A loud plastic crashing sound as it hit the floor. My body lunging after it even though I knew I would not be able to catch it. I was in to much shock as my husband picked it up off the floor and helped me up. I was to nervous to touch it, the side was cracked open and out of place. He popped it back in and turned it on. It was frozen. Panic swept through me. "I didn't back up my writing again! WTF is the matter with me!" Shock, Denial, Anger, Grief. The four stages of data loss. After 8 days in geek squad the bottom line is that the hard drive and motherboard are completely destroyed. The computer can not be fixed. Parts were donated and my husband was able to build a makeshift computer for my writing. So thank you Geek Squad for doing your best and thank you to my husband who tried to make the best out of a situation where his wife was close to becoming the girl from exorcist. Spinning head and horrible cursing included. Geek squad was able to transfer all my writing over to a USB. I think two times a charm for me to finally learn my lesson. Everything is automatically backed up from this day forward. **

**So onto the story! I do not own Assassins Creed. You know the drill. **

2 Weeks Earlier

_ He ran as fast as his legs would take him, clutching the woman tightly against his chest. He did not know whether she lived or died, and did not stop his pace in order to find out. Every second was vital if she were to live. He made his way parallel to the Aquila; could already hear his lookouts yelling in alarm as he was spotted on the docks. The commotion on the ship was evident as the crew gathered near the plank. While he pushed his way through his crew, his voice bellowed loudly over the ship's deck as he called out for his first mate. _

_ "I'm here Cap'n. Give the man space!" Mr. Faulkner yelled pulling seamen out of his way while jogging up beside Connor, who barreled towards his chamber. _

_ "I need Mr. Holmes."_

_ "Aye!" Faulkner nodded, turning to yell at the men to find his ships doctor._

_ Connor paid no attention as he kicked his door open and quickly lay Celeste upon the large bed towards the back of the room. He forced himself to take a deep breath, holding it and then releasing slowly as he tried to steady his racing heart. He stared at her figure upon the bed. She seemed so small and frail, her skin pasty and pale. His body felt numb, his fingers frozen while he unlatched some of his weapon leathers to peel his wet jacket off, tossing it over a chair. _

_ A moment later, Faulkner came barging in followed closely by an older grey haired man and a younger blond boy, who Connor knew to be a few years younger than he, named Roger, Holmes's apprentice. _

_ "My God, what happened? Roger, set up my tools beside the bed." Holmes handed his bag to the young boy who caught it immediately and moved with expert precision, pushing everything on the table near the bed to the floor. Connor had seen the two of them work together for almost a year now. he had never seen such a compatible pair. Sometimes Roger would have things ready even before he asked, Holmes just had to hold out his hand and Roger knew exactly what was needed. Holmes put his fingers on Celeste's throat snapping Connor's attention back to the task at hand. _

_ "Sword wound. I bound her the best I could." Conner said staring at the woman upon his bed. _

_ "Who is she?" Faulkner spoke up, turning to shoo away the crewmen gathered outside the threshold of the room and closing the door._

_ "Her name is Celeste and I need her to live." That was all they needed to know, and all he was willing to share for the moment. _

_ "She's alive…but just barely. First thing we need to do is get her out of these wet clothes." Holmes started to untie the strings of her corset, quickly pulling them open. "I need you to pick her up gently."_

_ Connor did as he was told, holding Celeste up upon his chest so the doctor could remove her leathers. Holmes lifted up her shirt and looked at the bindings and then glanced at Connor._

_ "You too."_

_ "What?"_

_ "She's your woman isn't she? Take your clothes off." _

_ "We are not…"_

_ "No time to be bashful boy! You want her to live? Take your damn clothes off and get in the bed! She needs your body heat." Connor fumed to himself and met Rogers gaze, his face warning him to listen to the doctor. He let out a loud aggravated breath, while he got off the bed to do as he was told. _

_ "Do you need anything from me Cap'n?"_

_ "No, Faulkner. You can go." He nodded and left as Holmes began ripping Celeste's shirt open. Roger rolled her over gently to take the shirt from her. Holmes moved to his tools while Connor undressed. Roger pulled her shoes off and started on her pants just as Connor began to lay upon the bed next to her, averting his eyes to give her as much decency as he could. _

_ "Cap'n press your body against hers." Connor tried his hardest to think of anything else but the woman in his bed while he turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her. The cold touch of her flesh brought goose bumps to his skin, chasing away any indecent thoughts that might have started to stir. Blankets were quickly thrown over them; one across her chest and his arms and the other over their legs and waists. Roger made sure not to cover her stomach where Holmes was now sitting in front of on a stool, a small scissor in his hand._

_ "I think you binding her wound might have saved her life. It was quick thinking."_

_ "Is she going to live?" Connor said plainly, concentrating on nothing but the wall in front of him. The doctor was silent for a moment._

_ "You should start praying to whatever gods you believe in, and if she wakes before I'm done, you better hold her as hard as you can."_

* * *

1 Week Earlier

_ When night fell on the same day they set sail, the fever started. He began to fear the worst. Connor passed the wheel to Faulkner and went to his chambers as soon as he was summoned. When he entered, Roger had his hands pressed on Celeste's shoulders while Holmes was holding her legs. _

_ "She's thrashing from the fever. We can't let her rip the stitches." Roger almost but yelled. His face red from the struggle of holding the woman upon the bed down._

_ "Do you have any medicine to help her?" Connor asked trying to keep his composure the best he could, his instincts making him want nothing more than to panic for the sight of Celeste._

_ "Aye, but you need to hold her." Holmes moved to give Connor room beside him at the woman's feet. _

_ Connor ran to the bed and held her legs. For the moment she did not move, just mumbled incoherent things in her sleep. A few nights ago when he stood watch over her he could have sworn she said his name. Her eyes opening into tiny slits right before closing again. Now, she mumbled things he could not even decipher, fought dreams and demons he could not help her with. Holmes came up beside her, a small bowl in his hand. He poured some of the liquid into her mouth and immediately she began to choke and spit it up. Holmes frowned and went back to the table to make another mixture._

_ "Where the hell is my dropper? We have to get this in her. It's a sedative and a tonic to bring the fever down."_

_ "Give it to me. Hold her legs."_

_ Holmes nodded and switched places with him. Connor went to the other side of the bed opposite Roger and gently picked Celeste up and leaned her forward. Her arms came up in defense, her body beginning to fight them. She smacked Connor in the face as she thrashed from delirium. Connor blinked back his surprise at the force of her hand. _

_ "Pass me the medicine and hold her arms!" Roger scrambled to hand him the bowl and took a hold of her palms. Connor spoke low into her ear._

_ "Celeste. If you can hear me, I am sorry for doing this." He paused when he saw the tenseness in her face calm and took this opportunity to pour the medicine into his own mouth. He cupped her jaw and tilted her mouth to his; firmly holding her chin in one hand and her neck in the other, he pressed his lips to hers. _

_ Almost immediately he could feel her body begin to relax against his and coaxed her mouth open with his fingers, the medicine starting to exchange between them. He could feel the muscles in her throat beginning to contract. Knew the lack of air would force her to swallow reflectively. _

_ After the medicine was gone, he placed her back against the bed as gently as he could. Her eyes opened for a second and looked out upon him. The breath caught in his throat as her lips gave way to a ghost of a smile. He watched the rise and fall of her chest begin to slow; the tenseness of her muscles slowly dissolving as her eyes closed once again._

_ Roger let her go and so did Holmes. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and rubbed the tension from the back of his neck. Holmes went to check her pulse and nodded in approval._

_ "It's working. She's asleep."_

_ "How long before her fever breaks?"_

_ "The human body is a funny thing. If the sword wound didn't kill her, it would be a shame to lose her to the fever. We'll keep giving her the medicine. I can't give you a time frame. It's up to her and how badly she wants to live. It would do well to try and get some soup into her. She will need her strength for the days ahead."_

_ Connor nodded and sat upon his chair that he had been sleeping on by his desk. He took off his brimmed hat and placed it down upon the wood, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sighed._

_ "I'm going to go get some sleep. Call us if you need anything."_

_ "Thank you, Mr. Holmes, Roger." Roger left first followed by Holmes, who hesitated and turned back. His eyes were kind as he glanced from Connor to Celeste._

_ "It's an awful lot of trouble to go through for a woman you barely know."_

_ Connor did not answer right away as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the small woman upon his bed. Part of him did not know the answer either. Was it because in the two instances that they met, she made him feel something he could not explain? Or was it because she seemed to genuinely not judge him? A woman who seemed so full of life. No, it could not be that. It was the symbol. He wanted to know how she came upon it. He could see the knowledge in her eyes. Every part of his existence hoping that he was not aiding his enemy. _

_ "She saved my life. Am I to let her die then?"_

_ "I just wonder how she is to react when she awakens to find we have set sail away from Boston." _

_ "I will take care of it. She will understand."_

_ "Will she now? A woman you barely know?" _

_ "I know her enough!" Connor bit out nastily, his teeth gritting in anger. Holmes frowned at his display of ire, and glanced back at the woman on the bed. _

_ "If you know her enough, then I would take this opportunity to bathe her and have her clothes changed. If she easily killed those men for you, then I'd rather it be you that feels her wrath when she awakens. Do it as soon as her fever breaks." _

_ Holmes left the room without another word, and left Connor to his budding anger._

* * *

One Night Ago

_ She opened her eyes to a vast emptiness; a room of bright white that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Am I dreaming?__Celeste took a step forward, her feet kicking up fog. No matter how hard she looked, the floor could not be seen. Black lines, almost like apparitions appeared around her. Symbols started to take shape in a language she couldn't understand, but knew to be familiar. They would flicker in and out and move every time she tried to look harder. She wasn't sure if they were real or merely tricks of the light. She tried to touch one and her hand went through it like a fleck of dust in the air. Realization hit her._

_ "Fuck! I'm dead." She said frowning as she turned in a circle unsure of what direction to go in._

_ "No, not dead." A voice came from the emptiness, but from where she wasn't quite sure._

_ "If I'm not dead where am I?"_

_ "You should not be here, but this place is called the Nexus." The bodiless voice said harshly making Celeste laugh bitterly. _

_ "I will gladly leave if you tell me the way."_

_ "You do not have questions, your kind always does." _

_ Celeste was finally able to pinpoint the voice as it took shape behind her. She turned to see a woman standing a few feet away. She seemed a bit odd. Her eyes were not exactly right. They were dark and bottomless, almost cruel and full of secrets. Her irises kept changing colors, but the area surrounding it was black. Goosebumps puckered on her skin as she stared at the woman before her._

_ She wore an outfit Celeste had never seen before. A gold chest plate that wound around her neck and a white dress, almost like pictures of the Egyptians or Aztecs she remembered seeing in books. She wore a head piece made of gold, which gave way to a white veil that trailed down the sides and back of her head. Her long black hair floated around her on a wind that Celeste could not feel._

_ "If you're God I'm a little disappointed." _

_ The woman narrowed her eyes and frowned, beginning to walk towards her quickly. Celeste stood her ground ready to protect herself, but her body froze and she was unable to move. The woman did not stop until she literally walked through Celeste and stood on the other side. Pain and frost shot through her body as the woman touched her, her breath caught in her throat making her gasp and suck in desperately for air. The woman stared at her emotionless when Celeste was free to turn to her, the invisible restraints dispersing. _

_ "He needs you, though he does not yet realize." _

_ "Who?"_

_ "The guardian, you will help him find __**it**__ and hide __**it**__ so __**he **__may retrieve __**it**__."_

_ "Okay. I'm sorry but I don't speak code. You're going to have to clarify a bit there."_

_ The woman narrowed her eyes at Celeste and waved her hand. A white piercing light appeared in front of her and an image of a person began to appear like a ghost. It was an image of the man she met. The one who she hoped she had saved from the prison._

_ "Connor. Is this the man I need to help?" _

_ Celeste took a step towards the image of Connor, studying every detail she could about him. The pulse of her heart beating harder against her chest. She fought every urge to reach out and touch the picture before her. _

_ "The past. The present. The future. They all meet here. I can see the possibilities. Have seen the outcomes. Thousands of paths, thousands of possible futures, but one is now clear." Celeste turned to the woman in white._

_ "What is clear?" She showed no emotion as she stared back at Celeste, her gaze turning toward the image of Connor._

_ "The guardian will fail, if you do not help him."_

_ "Help him do what?"_

_ "You will help him find __**it." **__The woman turned from her and started circling the image in front of them. Celeste could feel the anger welling within her. She hated mind games._

_ "Find what? Who are you?" The woman smiled cruelly and dread began to grip her chest. Wait, she had heard of the nexus before. _

_ "Juno. I have guided your order for centuries." _

_ Oh god. She had heard of Juno. In the stories passed down about Ezio and the artifacts recovered by Altair. The stories had said when Juno appeared an artifact or the war between Assassins and Templars were about to take a turn. But, why her? Why now?_

_ "He is waiting for you. Even now he sits by your side hoping for you to awaken." Juno turned and started walking away. The illumination in the room began building, becoming brighter._

_ "Wait, I have questions!" _

_ "Your kind always does. Find the __**key**__ and hide __**it**__ so none may find __**it**__ but __**him."**_

_Juno's image started to fade and the room became almost blinding. Celeste shielded her eyes from the intensity of the light but yelled out in desperation._

_ "Wait! I don't understand. What key? Who is 'him'?"_

_ Juno did not answer and Celeste could see nothing as she was swallowed in light._

**This chapter was originally 21 pages long and I split it into 2 chapters in fear that it was too long. I'll do my best to stay on schedule with the postings for every 2-3 weeks. I have the time since my PS4 arrived broken and my collectors edition of Assassins Creed 4 lays untouched in our living room. But that's a whole other story I do not want to get into. Leave reviews please! They will perk my spirit.**_  
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